Leadership & Career Growth with Pernod Ricard Chief People Officer Lani Montoya
Release Date: 04/28/2025
How HR Can Lead AI Implementation with CHRO Einav Lavi
Talk Talent To Me
Show Notes & Key Takeaways Show Notes EnterpriseDB CHRO Einav Lavi shares how she transformed from finance instructor to business-focused HR leader by speaking the language of executives—revenue, costs, and ROI. She details challenging a COVID-era 20% layoff mandate with data-driven alternatives that saved nearly $1M, leading company-wide AI implementation, and positioning HR as "builders of the business" rather than policy enforcers. The conversation covers earning executive credibility through commercial fluency, courage to challenge leadership decisions, and viewing HR as a...
info_outline
Career Control with Virta Health CPO Dr. Lucia Guillory
Talk Talent To Me
Show Notes Lucia shares her unconventional career philosophy: choose companies over jobs. With experience at Yahoo, Patreon, and six years at Virta, she argues that job titles, managers, and compensation frequently change, but company mission remains stable. The conversation explores Virta's unique hiring challenge of needing 20-50 healthcare coaches and providers within weeks due to unpredictable patient enrollment. Their solution: a 4,500-person talent community (4x their workforce) maintained through regular communication, cohort-based hiring, and radical transparency to enable rapid...
info_outline
Evaluating the C-Suite with CHRO & Advisor Gianna Driver
Talk Talent To Me
Gianna Driver, a seasoned Chief People Officer shares her stance on eliminating cover letters and resumes, the mutual evaluation process during job searches, and the critical questions candidates should ask to assess company culture. Gianna emphasizes the importance of in-person interactions and offers valuable advice for job seekers navigating a challenging market. Takeaways Should we eliminate cover letters and resumes? Job searches are a mutual evaluation process. Asking the right questions to gauge company culture. Tuning in to subtle cues during interviews. Knowing your worth...
info_outline
Owkin Global Talent Director Helen Burns
Talk Talent To Me
Helen Burns, the Global Talent Director at Owkin, about her unique journey in talent acquisition. Helen shares her transition from freelance consulting to an in-house role, the importance of long-term talent strategies, and the challenges of building a talent team in a rapidly changing industry. They discuss the significance of employer value propositions, company culture, and navigating imposter syndrome in career growth. Helen emphasizes the need for clarity in attracting talent and the importance of being open to learning and adapting in a new environment. The Global Talent Scout role...
info_outline
Open Role Triage with Gynger Head of Talent Jonathan Graber
Talk Talent To Me
Summary In this episode, Rob interviews Jonathan Graber, the head of talent at Gynger, discussing his journey from agency recruiting to in-house talent acquisition. They explore the challenges and rewards of transitioning roles, the importance of setting deadlines in hiring, and the diverse responsibilities that come with working in a startup environment. Jonathan shares insights on managing priorities, the significance of people operations, and how to navigate the complexities of talent acquisition in a fast-paced setting. Takeaways The 10 80 10 rule illustrates how people respond to...
info_outline
Betting On Yourself with Metropolis CPO John-Paul Sukkar
Talk Talent To Me
JP, Chief People Officer at Metropolis, emphasizes the need to reframe the return to office narrative, highlighting the irreplaceable value of human connection and collaboration that cannot be replicated through remote work alone. He shares insights on fostering a culture of access and the responsibilities that come with managing a large workforce post-acquisition. In this conversation, John-Paul Sukkar discusses the challenges and strategies involved in integrating a large organization after a significant acquisition. He emphasizes the importance of cultural shifts, change management, and the...
info_outline
Endless Insight via Succession Planning with Elizabeth Egan
Talk Talent To Me
Elizabeth explains how succession planning reveals far-reaching insights about the state of talent in an organization. As Director of Talent Management and Organizational Development at Cerence AI, Elizabeth has prioritized generating individual development plans (IDPs) for all employees. Elizabeth emphasizes that employees should take ownership of their careers and seek out opportunities for growth, while companies must create supportive environments to retain top talent. The conversation highlights the need for open communication, feedback mechanisms, and the role of managers in...
info_outline
Detecting Interview Cheaters with Mike Mroczka
Talk Talent To Me
Mike Mroczka is an interview coach, author, software engineer, and consultant specializing in helping hiring organizations eliminate cheating in their interview processes. Mike shares the challenges posed by AI tools in coding interviews, the distinction between using resources and cheating, and the necessity of evaluating candidates' foundational knowledge. Mike shares insights on how organizations can design interviews to deter cheating and the tools available for monitoring candidates. The discussion concludes with a hopeful outlook on the future of technology in hiring, emphasizing the...
info_outline
AI-Proof Your Interviews with Replicate's Lia Economos
Talk Talent To Me
Lia Economos discusses the evolution of interview processes, particularly in the context of integrating AI tools and adapting to the changing landscape of technical interviews. She emphasizes the importance of structured interviews as companies grow and the need to design interview questions that challenge candidates beyond the capabilities of AI. The discussion also touches on the ethical implications of over-employment and the necessity for candidates to network effectively during their job search. Key Points From This Episode: A brief overview of her background and what...
info_outline
Leadership & Career Growth with Pernod Ricard Chief People Officer Lani Montoya
Talk Talent To Me
In today’s fast-paced world where candidates are always looking for the next opportunity, it’s rare to find someone dedicated to growing within one organization. As today’s guest Lani Montoya demonstrates, internal growth may be the best way to develop exceptional people leaders. Lani is the Chief People Officer at Pernod Ricard, the world leader in premium international wines and spirits, and she begins by explaining her path to joining the company and why she chose to grow in it instead of seeking opportunities elsewhere. We discuss how to rise above workplace complacency, the value...
info_outlineIn today’s fast-paced world where candidates are always looking for the next opportunity, it’s rare to find someone dedicated to growing within one organization. As today’s guest Lani Montoya demonstrates, internal growth may be the best way to develop exceptional people leaders. Lani is the Chief People Officer at Pernod Ricard, the world leader in premium international wines and spirits, and she begins by explaining her path to joining the company and why she chose to grow in it instead of seeking opportunities elsewhere. We discuss how to rise above workplace complacency, the value of persistence and commitment, whether a work-life balance is real or myth, and the role of modern people leaders. Lani also describes how she makes new hires, how she helps others realize their people-leadership potential, what Pernod Ricard has cooking in leadership development, and her advice for choosing between staying at a company and pursuing other avenues.
Key Points From This Episode:
-
Lani describes Pernod Ricard and how she became its Chief People Officer.
-
Why she chose to grow within the organization instead of looking elsewhere.
-
How to stay at a company without becoming complacent (and still adding value).
-
What Lani is busy working on today, and what she still hopes to achieve at the company.
-
Why she believes in balance as a whole but not in work-life balance.
-
Understanding what’s expected of modern people leaders.
-
How Pernod Ricard prepares its people to become the type of leaders it needs.
-
Lani’s process for helping others embrace and explore their people-leadership potential.
-
Whether leadership and career growth go hand-in-hand
-
Unpacking Pernod Ricard’s leadership development platform.
-
Pernod Ricard’s strategy for becoming known as a skills-based organization.
-
Lani’s advice for deciding whether to leave or stay at a company for personal growth.
Quotes:
“I always found the work I did [at Pernod Ricard] very interesting. I love the trust, the independence that I had, and I always felt like I was making a difference.” — Lani Montoya [11:41]
“I’m not so sure that I believe in work-life balance, but I do believe in balance.” — Lani Montoya [14:57]
“Strengthening the role of the people leader is a big opportunity for driving engagement, driving results, and driving our culture.” — Lani Montoya [22:39]
“Being a people leader is as much an art as it is a science.” — Lani Montoya [25:05]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Learning & Development | Pernod Ricard